Grade Six Social Studies
Hello Boys and Girls!
I hope you had a great week at school.
Topic: Natural Regions
Sub-Topic: The Hilly
Sand and Clay Region
In our previous lessons, we explored one of
Guyana’s four Natural By Ulanie Regions- The Low Prass-Akinde Coastal Plain. We discussed that The Low Coastal Plain is the strip of land which stretches from Point Playa to the Corentyne River - a seaboard of approximately 432 kilometres (270 miles) is referred to as the Coastal Plain because it is located near the Atlantic Ocean. It varies in width from 16 to 64 kilometres (10 to 40 miles). It is extremely low and is about 2 to 4 metres (6 to 8 feet) below sea level. Most of the coastline is below sea level at high tide. To keep the tide out, concrete sea walls, dams, and groynes have been built along the coastline as far as possible. Further, most of the population lives on the Coastal Plain earning their living on the sugar estates, in the rice fields, and working in other agricultural areas, or in towns and villages where they are employed as public servants. In today’s lesson, we will continue our exploration of the topic of Natural Regions in Guyana with specific emphasis on The Hilly Sand and Clay Region. I encourage you to get your notebooks, pencils, and crayons as we investigate this region under the following headings:
● Brief description of The Hilly Sand and
Clay Region
● Soils ● Resources ● Vegetation ● Population ● Important Places
Let’s Briefly Discuss the Hilly Sand and Clay Region
The Hilly Sand and Clay Region is Guyana’s second Natural Region. The region is so named because of the many hills, clay, and sandy soils found there. The land is very hilly. The soil is covered with forests and patches of savannah land. There are many blackwater creeks. The days are hot, and the nights are cold.
This region is found south of the Low Coastal Plain and covers about one-quarter of the area of Guyana. This region extends from the Pomeroon River inland to the Mazaruni, south to Apoteri, and eastward to the Corentyne.
Let’s talk about the soil!
The soil of this region consists mainly of: ● red sand ● white sand ● brown sand ● clay
This sandy region is dotted with hills, ranging in height from 30.5 m to 122 m (100 to 400 ft).
Let’s discuss the vegetation in Hilly Sand and Clay Region!
When we speak about vegetation, what do we mean? The word vegetation is a general term for the plant life of a region; it refers to the ground cover provided by plants. Let us remember that the vegetation in each region would be different since the soil composition is different. Vegetation- Hilly Sand and Clay Region
The sandy soils are covered by valuable Greenheart, Mora, Crabwood, Wallaba forests, and other timber. In the red sand area, as well as the clayey areas, some agriculture is carried out.
Fact:
The Hilly Sand and Clay Region are known for their tall trees.
Let’s Explore Some of the Resources in this Region!
A resource is something that can be used for making profits or benefits, whether that be a source, supply, or support.
The main resources of this area are:
Let’s talk about the Population!
The population here refers to the number of people living in the region.
The population here is not as dense as on the Coastlands and is concentrated in the areas where bauxite mining is done, e.g. Linden, and where timber is cut, e.g. Mabura Hill. There are Amerindian reservations, e.g. Orealla, Epira, Kalkumi.
The population, therefore, consists mainly of Loggers, Bauxite workers, Commercial workers, and public servants.
Fact/TIP: The population is not as dense as on the Low Coastal Plain. This means more people live on the Coastal Plain compared to the Hilly Sand and Clay Region
What economic activities are they involved with?
This refers to what people do to earn to take care of their families. Many people do farming. Pineapple cultivation is done on the highway on large farms. Pineapple plants grow well in sand. Citrus trees (lemons, limes, and oranges) peanuts, and ground provisions are also grown here.